Petition Background (Preamble):

Derby’s sporting facilities are old and dated and the cost of restoring and maintaining them is hugely expensive.

A more cost effective sporting strategy has been developed to build new facilities including a centrally located Multi Sports Arena incorporating a velodrome and concert venue, and a new Olympic sized swimming pool. Smaller, locally based facilities would also be provided , with an athletics track retained at Moorways. The strategy has the aspiration of making Derby “the most active city” in the country, helping to redress the city’s health issues caused by a lack of physical activity.

This strategy has wide public support and the planning application for The Multi Sports Arena received many letters of support.

It was hoped that the Conservative/Liberal Democrat administration would be able to sign the construction contracts for the Multi Sports Arena prior to the recent council elections. However there was not enough time and the Labour group, who had opposed the project, took control of the council.

There is now a risk that the Labour group may scrap the project altogether, which would lose the economic and other benefits of an iconic facility, waste a great deal of the money already spent and commit Derby to spending huge amounts of maintenance on outdated sporting facilities.

Petition:

Please note that this petition has now been printed and was presented to the Derby Labour Party on 28th May 2012. They will decide (maybe on 29th May) about the future of the velodrome. Thank you very very much to everyone who has supported this campaign and keep an eye on the Derby Cycling Group website for more information.

We the undersigned support the plan to create the Derby Multi Sports Arena incorporating a velodrome and concert venue and we urge the new Labour controlled Derby City Council to sign the construction contracts which were prepared at great expense by the previous Conservative/Liberal Democrat administration.

We want the council to approve this project because, as well as providing a venue for track cycling it will provide excellent, central, facilities for many other sports, a day centre for people with severe disabilities, and a new public concert space all in a spectacular venue.

The project will provide huge economic benefits; the construction of the velodrome will create many jobs and the velodrome and concert space will bring thousands of people to Derby every year who would not otherwise come here; a normal sports hall just wouldn’t have that impact. It will be an iconic building with unique facilities which will draw the attention of businesses looking for somewhere to locate new factories and offices, setting Derby apart from other towns.

Labour – please get aspirational, get inspirational and promote economic development by signing up to the Derby Multi Sports Arena.

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